Gaura parviflora

Taxobox
name = "Gaura parviflora"

"Gaura parviflora" (syn. "G. mollis" James; Velvetweed, Velvety Gaura, Downy Gaura, or Smallflower Gaura) is a species of "Gaura" native to the central United States and northern Mexico, from Nebraska and Wyoming south to Durango and Nuevo Leon.Germplasm Resources Information Network: [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?316694 "Gaura parviflora"] ]

It is an annual plant growing to 0.2–2 m (rarely 3 m) tall, unbranched, or if branched, only below the flower spikes. The leaves are 2–20 cm long, lance-shaped, and are covered with soft hair. The flower spikes are 20–30 cm long, covered with green flower buds, which open at night or before dawn with small flowers 5 mm diameter with four pink petals.Jepson Flora: [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Gaura+parviflora "Gaura parviflora"] ] Southwest Environmental Information Network: [http://seinet.asu.edu/seinet/symbiota/sonora/taxa/taxaprofile.php?taxon=Gaura%20mollis "Gaura mollis"] ] Wildflowers of Tucson: [http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/pinks/pink05.html "Gaura mollis"] ]

Nomenclature

The species remains widely known as "Gaura parviflora", this name being published in 1832 and long considered the correct name for the species. However, an overlooked but validly published name "G. mollis" had been published earlier by Thomas Potts James in 1825. A proposal was made to conserve the name "G. parviflora" over "G. mollis",Wagner, W. L., & Hoch, P. (2000). Proposal to Reject the Name Gaura mollis (Onagraceae). "Taxon" 49 (1): 101-102.] and this was accepted by the International Botanical Congress Committee for Spermatophyta, so "G. parviflora" remains the correct name.Brummitt, R. K. (2001). Report of the Committee for Spermatophyta: 52. "Taxon" 50 (4): 1179-1182.] Despite this, the rejected name "G. mollis" appears in some major sources.USDA Plant Profile: [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GAMO5 "Gaura mollis"] ]

Weed status

It is naturalized and often invasive in other parts of the United States, and in Australia, China, Japan, and South America.Flora of China: [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242416578 "Gaura parviflora"] ] PlantNet (Australia): [http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Gaura~parviflora "Gaura parviflora"] ]

References